


Sea Mist

by Plandai



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Phan - Freeform, dragon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-06-10 00:19:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15279420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plandai/pseuds/Plandai
Summary: Phil is a dragon, he has been for quite a while, and it isn't until a handsome stranger wanders onto him in distress that he might finally be able to become human again, but even if that were to happen, what would he do next?





	1. Chapter 1

Sometimes Phil forgot he wasn’t human, he had spent the first twenty years of his life as one to be fair. Sometimes he would wake up and wonder what topping he would like on his pancakes, only to realise that his clawed hands would struggle a great deal trying to make them. He should be used to it, it had been nearly ten years for goodness sake. He stretched out on the cold floor of the cavern he called home. It was covered from above by the overhanging cliff and the sea obscured the entrance during high tide to keep him hidden, not that he would mind having a visitor now and again.

His past life always seemed so distant now. At one point he had had pale skin and black hair, well really it was brown but black suited him far more, he liked eating copious amounts of junk and sleeping in until midday. He did all the normal people things, watched television, played video games, avoided all human interaction (ok maybe that was just him) but the point is he was a relatively normal and most definitely a human. He had loving parents and an amazing big brother who all lived in a big house in the country. He missed the woodlands and rolling hills of where he grew up but it was safer here.

Lundy was a popular holiday destination but the southern end was usually deserted given that it was a good five mile walk from the hotel and the sharp rocks made it impossible for a boat to get close. If you rose above the cliff you could just about catch sight of the pristine while lighthouse and campsite fires. The water was full of all sorts of creatures, porpoises and seals as well as countless birds. Sometimes Phil would stick his head out of the rocks and watch them go past. Above his head Sika deer, Soay sheep, goats, ponies, Highland cattle, Gloucester Old Spot pigs brought by people over the years roamed as well as puffins and seagulls who were there long before.

When the moon was dark and there was no light to reflect of his slick black scales he would fly over the island and look upon its visitors. The castle built by  William de Marisco after he fled there to escape the wrath of Henry II stood proud against the dark rock and thin, mossy grass that surrounded it and the yellow light of the Marisco tavern was always comforting. Occasionally the  [ MS Oldenburg ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Oldenburg) could be heard churning through the water on its twelve mile trip back to  [ Ilfracombe ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilfracombe) although he rarely caught sight of it. 

He spent his days curled up in his cold, damp cave and nights stretching his wings when he had the energy. Sometimes he ate fish but they weren’t the most exciting of meals and he wasn’t fast enough to get many, realistically he should have probably died of starvation but then again it’s not usually very realistic to get turned into a dragon. There was probably some sick magic at work that forced him to live this miserable existence. He’d messed about with something he didn’t understand and now he was paying the price.

The sky was stormy and the wind pushed and forceful waves into the cliff. Water spewed in and flooded into Phil’s cavern. He let off a huff of annoyance and a small tendril of smoke escaped from his nostril. Technically he was supposed to breathe fire according to the books and shit but all he'd managed so far was smoke, it was a bit disappointing to be honest. He didn’t feel the cold as much now that he was a cold-blooded creature but it did make him drowsy.  The sun began to set and Phil thought he might stretch his legs a little.

He clambered out of his cave and crawled up onto the cliff edge. There was nobody about and the fine sea mist veiled the rest of the island. A few deer scattered and the puffins rushed back into their burrows but apart from that it seemed almost lifeless. He flapped his wings slowly to clear the water from them and trundled forward, tail carving a trough in the ground behind him. A couple of bats fluttered above his head although they had little control in the swirling wind.

Suddenly a figure emerged from the mist. In his haste to hide he slipped back over the edge of the cliff and crashed into the sharp rocks below. Saltwater flooded over him and he spluttered, worried that it might drown him. He tried to move his wings but they were pinned down by jagged stone. He let out a whine and growled. This was great, just great. Despite the still sinking sun, his eyes couldn’t quite pick out his surroundings which mean he was most likely stuck here until dawn if the rising water didn’t get him first.

There was movement on top of the cliff and a bright light was shone down to illuminate the pitiful dragon. Phil froze thinking of the figure in the mist. He couldn’t be found, they’d kill him for sure. He struggled fruitlessly against the rocks but all he managed was to tear part of his wing. The light continued along the top of the cliff before descending down a nearby scree slope. As the person moved closer Phil could pick out some features.

He was a handsome human, pale skin and curly brown hair. He was wearing a soaked black coat and jeans with a rather odd assortment of zips. He gingerly stepped towards the dragon, running the torch along his long body,

“Um hi?” he said awkwardly and Phil blew out a puff of smoke. That hadn’t been the reaction he had been expecting,

“Well what were you expecting?” the man asked nervously. Wait what? Phil couldn’t have spoken out loud because well, he couldn’t speak. All that came out were growls and whimpers and the occasional hiss,

“I can hear you, well sort of. It’s like in my head.”

Why aren’t you freaking out about this,

“I don’t know.” The man said suddenly sounding quite panicked, “I went for a walk and found a dragon. Dragons aren’t real, are you going to eat me?”

Phil rolled his eyes, 

“I’m not going to eat you, in fact, I don’t mind the company. Is there any chance you could help me though, I am a bit stuck.”

The man rolled the torch back over Phil, wading a little into the water to try and get to one of the stones. He was tall, about head to toe would be half the length of his tail probably. He moved said tail in annoyance as his wing was bent at a funny angle. The man was about his age, a little younger perhaps but then again it wasn’t as if he had much to go off, given that he hadn’t seen another human being in at least four or five years. Phil thought he was rather attractive in fact, if he wasn’t stuck as a dragon he probably would. Oh god, he hoped the guy hadn’t heard that.

The man pushed at the stone and Phil winced as it cut into his wing but eventually, it rolled free. Phil was able to turn a little so he was almost upright but his other wing was pinned down and far more torn up. After a bit more work they were able to shift it and he could spread his wings to see the extent of the damage. A few holes and gashes but nothing permanent, he would just have to stay grounded for a while. The man smiled nervously,

“Well there we go, you feeling better?”

“Very much so,” Phil replied, making sure to protect his thoughts. The man winced,

“Yeah, you don’t really need to think that loudly.”

“Oh sorry,” Phil replied looking down at his feet, claws, whatever they were,

“I’m Phil by the way,”

“Dan.” The man replied, holding out a hand for a moment before realising there was no way in hell Phil was going to take it,

“I must say 'Phil' isn’t a very dragon-y name.”

“I wasn’t a dragon when I got it.” He coldly and the man seemed to take the hint not to pry.

Dan nodded and looked back up to the top of the cliff, although the settling darkness clearly unnerved him,

“I think I should be going.” He exclaimed, jumping as his voice echoed,

“Would you like me to go with you? Not all the way obviously but just to the halfway wall so you don’t get lost in the mist.” I mean he had to return a favour somehow.

Dan nodded,

“Alright then.”

It was around a two-mile walk to the dry stone wall that split the island in two and Phil couldn’t fathom why Dan would want to come out here all alone on a night like this. They walked in relative silence, the only sound being Dan’s heavy breathing and he tried to keep up with Phil’s long strides and the tussle of his tail cutting through the grass. By the time it was properly dark they had reached the wall and the lighthouse lit the way back to the campsite. Phil paused at the wall and sat on the south side of it as Dan climbed over. The north of the island was home to both humans and the Lundy ponies, neither of which were particular fans of his,

“Bye Dan.” Phil called gently, “And thank you.”

Dan waved, “Thank you too.” He replied, and then a quiet, “I never thought I’d be thanking a dragon in my life.”

He disappeared into the mist leaving Phil to trudge back to his cave feeling dejected and miserable. Sure it was nice to have some company but he wished Dan would have stayed. He was probably far more freaked out that he let on but it had been nice to talk to someone who wasn’t screaming or trying to kill him. He crawled back into the rock, purposefully keeping his wings out of the salt water so it didn’t get into his wounds. He had a few small cuts on his legs which stung but it wasn’t too bad. He was simply left wondering if this strange human would ever come back. Probably not though, people never came back.


	2. Chapter 2

Winter came and went and soon spring arrived. The waters had grown calm and a plethora of seabirds had taken up residence in the cavern. At first, it wasn’t too bad but now Phil had to spend his entire day trying to sleep while chicks chirped and squared, begging their parents for food. His wings were tender but mostly healed and his encounter with Dan almost forgotten. He was dying to go and bath in the sun, even just for a moment but he resisted, as he had during every fair day for ten years.

He did risk poking his head out to look at the fishing boats on the horizon but a Manx Shearwater landed on his head a took a dump so he hadn’t bothered again. Even his black scales were beginning to pale from lack of sunlight and a stretch of ugly grey had appeared on his back. A grey seal poked it’s head out of the water and heaved itself into the entrance of the cave which caused Phil to groan. Sure they were cute and all but he had no idea then he had apparently agreed to a house share. The baby seagulls, auks and larks chirped almost in unison and Phil was suddenly very glad for their sakes that he couldn’t breathe fire.  
When night fell and peace and quiet was finally settled, Phil could relax. Suddenly a voice called out. It was faint and far away but he recognised it. That was Dan. He kept out of the rock and took flight, reaching the source of the notice in a matter of three or four strong beats of his wings. Dan jumped as the dragon landed with a heavy thump,

“Hi Phil,” he said in a voice that was an octave higher than usual,

“Hi Dan,” Phil replied, “What brings you back here?” he was smiling but it only really translated to a lot of teeth in his dragon form, Dan didn’t really seem to mind though.

“I just thought I’d come and visit, make sure I wasn’t just having a weird dream and made you up last time.”

“Nope, still here.” He replied miserably.

“Oh ok. This is an odd question but where do you go when there are people about, you can’t really hang around up here.” Dan sat down on a rock and Phil settled down on the ground next to him. The twilight caused everything to look grey and fuzzy but unlike the last time they met it was pleasant.

“Yeah I have a cave, pretty clique I know.”

“I’d love to have a cave. You could just sleep all day and nobody would bother you.”  
Phil snorted,

“Tell that to the birds that decided to nest there, I never get any peace from those bloody chicks.”

“Don’t you like, eat them,” Dan said quietly.

Phil flicked his tail angrily which showed Dan in a few droplets of sea water,

“No of course not, what sort of monster do you take me for! They’re just babies, besides they’re quite cute once they stop screaming for food.”

Dan spluttered slightly and brushed the water off his coat,

“Right sorry. I am curious though, what do you eat?”

Phil shrugged,

“Fish sometimes, not much else. I don’t really need to eat a lot, a side effect of my . . . condition.”  
Dan nodded and they sat in silence for a while. Dan kept looking at him as though he wanted to ask a question but the words never came out. Phil sighed,

“You want to know how I got turned into a dragon don’t you..”  
Dan sheepishly looked down at his feet and nodded.

“Well you see a long time ago when I lived with my family still my Grandma died. I was helping clear out her attic when I found a bunch of old fortune telling stuff and a spell book. We always used to joke she was psychic because she could tell when the milk was about to run out just before it did. In hindsight she probably just looked at the sell-by date, but still. Anyway, I decided to try out a spell in the book and it got me turned into a dragon. It said in the front the only way to reverse a spell was to destroy the page it was written on but the book just disappeared. So I’m stuck I guess.”

Dan looked at him sympathetically and gave him an awkward but comforting pat on the shoulder,

“That sounds rough, do you know what happened to the book?”  
Phil shook his head,

“No. If I did I would have ripped apart the bloody thing on the spot. I miss my family so much, I never even got to say goodbye. They’ve probably forgotten me by now though so there isn’t much point.”

His voice became very sad all if a sudden as he thought of his parents and his brother. The lighthouse beacon swept over the calm water and streetlights from the mainland twinkled in the distance. Despite the sunny day the clear sky began to suck the earth from the earth and Dan began to shiver. If Phil could produce fire they might have been able to talk for a little longer but as it was he could not and they both had to head their separate ways. Dan went back to civilization and Phil returned to solitude.

The next morning he wondered if Dan might come and visit him again but alas the Oldenburg trundled past with the human on board. Phil watched with reptilian eyes as it disappeared over the horizon. He thought of how he might become human again but what had he missed? Did MySpace still exist, were pandas extinct yet? He really wished he'd asked earlier. He also thought of his situation and if it was exclusive. If magic spell books were real there must have been some others who had made the mistake he did. Was there anywhere in the world he could go and fly in the sun without being seen?

Soon after that, the chicks began to leave the nests and Phil found himself missing the daily comings and goings of the parent birds. Despite the warming weather he felt sleepy and spent more and more time dozing off. Explorations outside the cave became infrequent and even the buzz of tourists above him failed to stir him from the depths of his slumber. Summer came and went in a haze until autumn rolled around and the winds started to pick up. Water was blown into the cavern once again but it didn’t bother him so much now.

It was midday. The tide was low and the opening in the rock allowed dull sunlight to filter through. Phil moved his tail over his eyes with a huff. He didn’t realise someone had entered the cave until there was a tap on his shoulder, in fact, he barely registered that at first,

“Phil, Phil.” A voice called in a hushed tone. Phil jumped up, very nearly hitting his head against the stone ceiling,

“Dan!” he said happily and he felt almost as though his tail was going to start wagging although that would have been a rather bad idea given the length of it and the confined space.

They exchanged pleasantries quickly before Dan blurted out what had appeared to have been on his mind a while.

“Phil where did you used to live because I was wondering if it would be possible to find the book and turn you back into a human.”

“It would be a wasted endeavor,” sighed sadly, “I’m not even sure my old home would still be there.”

“There is no harm in trying is there? I think we could both do with an adventure.”

Dan sounded hopeful and Phil melted slightly. Maybe there was the smallest chance but still,

“Dan even if I do get turned back, what then. My family thinks I’m dead most likely and I’ll have nowhere to go.”

Dan shrugged,

“You can come and live with me, I’d be glad for the company.”

Phil let his wings sag to the floor and head droop,

“Yeah maybe for a little while, but not permanently.”

“I’m sure we could find your family, they won’t have forgotten you.”

He checked his watch and sighed,

“I have to head back now or I’ll miss the ferry, the next new moon is a week tomorrow, are we going to do it or not?”

Phil tensed for a moment before hesitantly nodding his head, a small trail of smoke following each head movement,

“Rawtenstall in Lancashire, but you have to follow the signs to Rossendale. I’ll meet you on the north side of town.”

Dan smiled and nodded,

“Ok see you then.” Phil watched him scramble out of the cave and disappear over the edge of the cliff. The seal on the other side of the bay seemed to be staring at him judgingly. He huffed a puff of smoke in its direction and muttered a quiet, “shut up.” In its general direction.

The conversation left him restless and much more energetic than he had in months. His home beneath the island felt cramped and confining, he needed to stretch his wings. The day trawled on slower than ever and Phil found himself talking to an auk that was settled just above the entrance. They were strange birds auks, sort of like flying penguins, but smaller.

“What do you think about Dan?” he asked (in his head obviously) the animal who of course made no response, “What if he’s just going to try and lure me back to civilization so he can get me captured. Even this miserable existence would be better than being experimented on, and what about my family? How am I going to explain this to them?”

He groaned and contemplated the mess he landed himself in,

“I think I’ve forgotten how to be a human birdie and I’m sure Dan won’t like me once I’m not an awesome flying reptile, oh god what if I still have that awful haircut when I turn back into a human?”

Phil stopped himself abruptly, realising that he had begun to use when instead of if,

“I mean I’m probably not going to get changed back into a human,” he said with a sigh, “I really want to but the chances of us finding that book are . . . slim, at best. Dan will feel a bit disappointed I think, but he seems happier with something to do. I hope he likes me in my human form, we’ve not really bonded enough for that whole beauty and the beast love your personality thing to play out.”

He moved a little closer and the bird took off with a cry and settled further up the rock face. Phil sighed and ducked back into the cave, willing the sun to set a little faster.  
The moment the sky turned an eerie grey Phil took off. He was aware that the moonlight reflected off his scales and that if anyone on the island below cared to look up they would get quite a fright but he didn’t really care. The wind washed over him and he felt himself rise on warm air currents. He thought he might try flying to the coast as a practice of sorts for his trip later on in the week. He glided effortlessly towards the shore, to an area where light was scarce. He dropped lover until his tail just trailed above the water and watched as the creatures below dived into the depths.

Eventually, he arrived at a pebble beach and landed as quietly as he could, heading towards the tree line. Back on Lundy, there were few trees. A few shrubs and some tall grass but any tree that dared to sprout didn’t last a winter before it was blown to the ground and battered into submission. He found it difficult to maneuver in the darkness but every other sense was heightened. Every creature in the undergrowth, every tussle if the wind, the smell of wet grass and rotting leaves. Although he would miss the flight and cool senses it would be far more pleasant to wander through the woods as a human.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the lights ahead of him. Soon the sound of voices jolted him back into reality. There were about three or four tents, he couldn’t really tell and their occupants were all huddled around a campfire. One of them was holding what looked like a Phone but the screen was huge and there didn’t look to be any number buttons as there had been on his old blackberry. Things really had changed a lot into the time he had been gone.  
Suddenly one of the girls looked up and tapped her friend on the shoulder,

“I think they’res something in the woods, I can feel it.” She said in a shaky voice, Phil’s eyes widened and he began to back away. He heard some footsteps approaching and made a dart back for the beach. He was used to taking off from the top or at least part of the way up a cliff so he found it difficult to gain altitude and first but with a few powerful flaps he managed to skim across the waves. The trees had stripped off a few scales and one of his claws had splintered on an unexpected rock but apart from that no real harm was done and he was more than eager to leave this dragon from behind.

Once six more nights had past and the seventh loomed near Phil began to prepare himself for the journey. He inspected his wings for damage and risked drying them out in the sun for a bit. He bid farewell to the birds and the deer and the sheep and the seals and the porpoises and the little things that scuttled in the grass and even the ponies for he knew that there was no way he was coming back and they had been his silent but disapproving companions for the last decade. He cleaned his cave the best he could and thanked it for being a safe place to call home even if it was cold and damp and dark and all the other things that were undesirable in a house. He gave one last goodbye to the lighthouse and the castle and the dock and even the tavern although he had never ventured near it and the old stone paths and the towering cliffs.

Even if his quest to become human again failed he had decided it was better to move on and find somewhere else to rest for the next decade, or at least until his body or mind gave out. He set off against the darkening sky and watched as his home disappeared into the distance. The sky was cloudy and the star light was hidden. Phil rose higher until eventually he broke free of the vast amounts of water vapour and looked up to see them twinkling down at him.

It was cold up here and the small droplets of water that had settled on his scales soon began to freeze. He sighed and dove back down towards the sea where it was safe. He followed the coast for miles and mile, avoiding lighthouses and boats as much as he could although he went straight over a few sailing boats that he had failed to spot. He had just flown past Anglesey when he realised how exhausted he was. He’d been flying for around two hours now and his wings ached, he couldn’t stop though. Dan was waiting for him and all they had was tonight to find that book.

He flew higher and allowed himself to glide for a while in order to give his wings a rest from flapping but it didn’t stop him from almost nodding off a couple of times. After around another hours flight he could just about make out the bright lights of Blackpool. The tower pointed high to the sky and was decorated red, white and blue in the shape of the union jack. He’d been on holiday a few times there as a kid, although he never seemed to enjoy them much. Phil took a sharp right and headed inland.  
It was colder up north, and definitely windier. He shot over farmland and woodland, attempting to navigate in an area he hadn’t been in for years. The enormous aerials at Inskip have him a basic trajectory and once he flew over the dry ski slope at Rossendale he knew he was set. He landed as quietly as possible and scanned the area for Dan. Eventually, be spotted him standing under a tree playing on a phone similar to the one he had seen the campers use. He carefully padded over and poked his head over Dan’s shoulder to get a better look.

The younger man jumped suddenly and held his hand over his heart,

“Fuck me, Phil,” he exclaimed in suprise, “Give a guy some warning would you?”

“Sorry.” Phil replied sheepishly and tucked his wings in, “I used to live over on the hill, should we go and look there?”

Dan nodded and they began to skirt around the village as best they could. Dan nimbly hopped over the styles, only slipping a few times in the mud, but Phil wasn’t quite so lucky. He was too large to effectively climb the small wooden structures but too small to hop the hedges and fences. His wings had cramped up so he was left with no choice but to simply plow forward. What he left behind was a path of pure destruction and much larger fields for the sheep and cows they disturbed,

“We are definitely breaking the country code.” He murmured to himself which earned a giggle from Dan,

“It’s for a good cause.”

Soon they arrived at a row of houses that Phil definitely recognised. Some had cars outside that looked starkly different from any he had seen before and the streetlamps shone a brilliant white rather than the dull orange he remembered. Some of the land behind had been built on and a new set of houses had sprung up where there had once been woodland. Phil wasn’t sure he liked the change. He wanders up to his childhood home, hyper aware of the shadow his body cast in the light. There was no car outside, nor plants on any windowsill or patio. There was no light nor sign of life within and when he dared to peer in through the window he saw the inside had been stripped completely.  
He felt his heart stop for a moment and he could almost feel itself tear in two. They’d left him behind. Dan’s bit his lip and wrapped his arms around the dragon,

“I’m sorry Phil, I really am. But we can still find them, it won’t be that difficult.”  
Phil nodded and sniffed, although he wasn’t actually sure if he could cry. Dan tried the door but it was locked, he pushed against it with his shoulder with a small grunt until it gave way and he almost fell into the corridor. A plume of dust was sent to the air exiting coughs from both beings present. Clearly, the past residents had left some time ago.  
They both walked into the hallway and Dan carefully closed the door behind them. It was a bit of a squeeze but he had lived in a relatively large house. There were light patches on the walls where pictures once hung and dents in the carpet where table legs once pressed down. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust that filled the air as it was disturbed. Dan pulled out his torch and shone it over the walls,

“Any idea where it might be?”

Phil shook his head before pausing,

“My room maybe.” He thought quietly and looked up towards the stairs.

Dan bounded up then effortlessly and left Phil to awkwardly clamber in the tight space. His room hadn’t changed much. The walls were the same colour and the bed frame was still in the same place, albeit stripped of the mattress and covers. Most of his posters had been taken down but a few had been left up, odd bands and films he liked all those years ago.

Any hope of finding the book, however, disintegrated when he looked around and realized the room was empty. Even his old wardrobe was gone. He looked around the bed frame just in case there was anything hidden behind but all he found was a dead mouse. If the whole house was like this then his family probably took the book with them. That was nice and all but he didn’t know where he family was, and he couldn’t exactly contact them. He was stuck like this forever.  
He felt the walls of the room close in on him. He leaped down the stairs as fast as he could, not caring about the noise he made and burst into the back garden. He was stupid to believe he ever had a chance at a normal life. Dan ran after him panting heavily,

“Aren’t we going to keep looking?” he asked between breaths. Phil shook his head and kicked a tree trunk in frustration, uprooting it and sending it flying across the overgrown lawn.

“There isn’t any point.” He huffed and smoke filled the air. This caused Dan to cough so he wafted it away with his wings feeling a little guilty, Dan had b gun to concentrate on something else though. He shone his Phone down to the tree roots that had been pulled up and gasped. It was hard to see in the darkness and damp soil had stained it brown but wrapped in one of the roots was the book. He wasn’t sure how it had got there but then again it was a magic book so the laws of Physics and nature probably didn’t matter all that much.

Dan managed to snap part of the wooden binding keeping it in place and prized it out,

“We just need to find the page he muttered,” flicking through.

Phil narrowed his eyes and felt anger well up inside him. That stupid book had taken away ten years of his life. Sure it was his fault for casting the spell in the first place but it didn’t have to disappear just like that. He growled which caused Dan to jump and drop the heavy object. He could only manage to conjure a spark but it was enough and the entire thing burst into flames. Dan yelped and jumped back in surprise. He watched the pages began to curl and disintegrate in the heat. Suddenly the fire went out and everything was dark.


	3. Chapter 3

They stood in silence for a moment before there was one more burst of light and both beings were blown off their feet. Dan landed in a large pile of moss which managed to break his fall quite effectively, but Phil wasn’t so lucky. There was a huge crash and he went straight through the fence, narrowly missing a rosebush on the other side and landing with a heavy thump. He used his hands to break the fall and regretted it instantly.

He lay there dazed for a few minutes, his whole-body aching and head fuzzy. Eventually, though he sat up and looked down at his hands which had been shredded by splintered wood. Wait, his hand. An enormous grin stretched across his face, his actual face. His eyes were still adjusting to the light now that his reptilian night vision had gone, but he could just make out the outline of Dan who was moving towards him,

“Phil,” he hissed, almost tripping over a stray beam, “Are you ok?” Phil jumped to his feet, pure happiness overwhelming the excruciating pain that was radiating through his back and legs,

“Dan!” he exclaimed excitedly, “It worked!” unfortunately his joyful revelation was cut short by the sound of sirens,

“Shit the neighbours must have called the police on us, we’ve made a proper mess!” Dan groaned.

Phil looked around panickily for a moment. He was finally human again, he didn’t want to spend the first few years of his new life in prison. Luckily, however, his eyes locked onto the gate at the far end of the garden and he grabbed Dan by the hand, pulling him towards it. In hindsight, it was a bad idea as all he managed to achieve was to smear blood all over the other man before having to let go as his own hands hurt so badly.

Luckily, however, he got the gist and they sprinted towards it together, slipping through and jumping behind a brick wall. Once hidden from view they continued walking quietly away, slicking to areas out of view from the road. It was an abandoned house, so it was unlikely the police would be massively bothered about finding them, but it was best to make it hard for them if they did try. When they finally got back to the place where they had met up originally, they could both stand under the lamplight.

“Omg, I can’t believe it worked!” Dan squealed, actually acknowledging that Phil was no longer a dragon for the first time, “You’re quite fit actually,” he murmured afterwards.

Phil flushed quite red and suddenly felt an urge to look at himself in a mirror. He was wearing an old plaid shirt and some black skinny jeans, probably the same clothes he was wearing when he actually got turned. He noticed they were a little tight on him and wondered if he had grown at all in that time,

“What are we doing now?” He asked, shivering slightly in the cold. Dan frowned at took off his coat, handing it to Phil. Phil wouldn’t have taken it but the other man also had a jumper on under the coat and he was absolutely freezing, “Thank you,”

Dan was still flushed bright red, but his awkward grin had been replaced by a frown,

“Ah well I did get the bus from the train station, but I’m pretty sure service doesn’t resume for at least a couple of hours,” he groaned. Phil sighed and looked around. There wasn’t really much they could do, except walk,

“Well lead the way,” he replied miserably, “I can’t actually remember where the station is,”

“It’s a shame you can’t fly anymore,” Dan joked, but Phil didn’t particularly appreciate it. He wanted no reminder of the last decade of his life.

They set off through the dark, a small smile soon making its way onto Phil’s face. He was free, he couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to see his family again, if they could find them, maybe he could even get a job. Of course, he would have to make up some story to explain to both his family and the police why he had been gone for so long, but after everything he had been through that didn’t seem like such a big deal now.

He looked down at his feet and watched as his battered shoes dragged along the pavement, beyond glad that they were no longer a menacing set of scaled claws. As they got further into the village little things started to reawaken in his memory that he had completely forgotten about. The pond his brother pushed him in as a kid, the park where he swore he saw a ghost, all of his old friend's houses, it was strange after so long. Of course, much had changed but he did his best to ignore it and allowed himself to become nostalgic just for a while.

He was relieved when they finally arrived at a sign for the station, he had a feeling Dan had been basically guessing the route up to now but at least they were somewhat on track. His hands were stinging horrible and his back hut, probably as a result of breaking through a fence, he couldn’t decide what he wanted more; to get in contact with his family, or a good lie down. At least the joy of being human again was enough to make him somewhat optimistic about what was yet to come.

They finally arrived at the station and it was the first time either of them had seen each other in proper light,

“Phil, you look like shit,” Dan said bluntly as they made their way to the waiting room. There was nobody at the ticket office and the next train wasn’t for another two hours, after all it was four in the morning,

“What happened to me looking, and I quote ‘quite fit’?” Phil shot back, a grin stretching across his face. Dan blushed furiously before looking away embarrassed,

“I did mean that,” he replied quietly, “You probably just need cleaning up a bit,”

Phil smiled to himself and shifted a little closer to the younger man. OK, he did have a little crush, but there were a plethora of things that meant he’d never actually act on it. For one, he didn’t actually know Dan that well. Yes, he had basically saved his life and he would always be grateful for that, but he could be secretly a murderer for all Phil knew. Plus, he could have a girlfriend, even a wife, he probably wasn’t gay either way.

“Tell me a bit about yourself Dan,” he finally piped up, the odd silence that had fallen over them making him uncomfortable. Dan shrugged,

“There isn’t much to say really,” he said with a shrug, “I’m sort of between jobs at the moment. I dropped out of university to become an actor, but it never really happened so I’m still trying to find my way. what about you?”

Phil wanted to respond that that hadn’t really been a lot about him as a person, although it was interesting,

“What do you want to know about, the last couple of years have been a little boring,” he replied with a forced laugh. Dan shook his head,

“No, tell me about what happened before you know,” he gestured vaguely at Phil causing the other man to frown slightly, “That,”

“Well I intended to study English language at university, and then do a masters in video post-production or something like that. I was thinking of going into editing, but it might be a little hard for me to get a job now. I have literally no experience and I never got a chance to do all the things I wanted,”

Dan rubbed his shoulder sympathetically,

“I’m sure you’ll do fine Phil,” he replied reassuringly, “I mean you could still go back to university? What about your family, tell me about them,”

Phil sighed. He loved his family, but it had been so long. What if they didn’t want to see him Afterall? Besides a lot could happen in ten years, what if something had happened to one of them? He paused, feeling a little uncomfortable talking about them, but Dan was looking at him with those large brown eyes and he couldn’t resist,

“Ok, but only if you tell me about yours,” he waited a moment, Dan nodded, “Before I had to leave, I still lived at home with my parents, they were great. I loved my mum, she was really nice and funny, plus a little bit strange like me. I also had an older brother, Martyn, he was mean to me sometimes, but I loved him really. I miss them,”

Dan looked like he regretted bringing it up but as Phil gestured for him to talk, he did so,

“Well I have both of my parents, and a younger brother too. I love them, but I don’t speak to them as much as I used to do. I think they’re a bit disappointed in me for dropping out of uni, but I can’t really blame them. I just knew I wasn’t going to be happy carrying on. They do have a cute dog though, I’d visit home just to see Collin again,”

Phil snorted,

“Collin is such a strange name for a dog,” he giggled,

“Yeh well he was a rescue, and he already responded to Collin. There was no point in changing it,”

Phil shrugged,

“Can’t argue with that logic,”

They had just settled back into a more comfortable silence when a young woman turned the corner, mop in hand. She jumped as she saw them, her eyes immediately going to Phil’s hands, sighing in relief,

“Oh, thank god, it’s just you dripping blood everywhere, I thought some had been murdered,” she exclaimed in a scolding tone.

Phil had almost forgotten by his injured, he looked down at his hands which were indeed still bloodied and smiled sheepishly,

“Sorry, I didn’t know they were still bleeding,” he muttered. The lady rolled her eyes,

“Well we can’t have you like that, come on let’s get that cleaned up,”

Phil looked over to Dan who nodded and they both got up to follow her. Soon all three of them were in a small room with a bed in it, what Phil assumed to be the first aid room. The lady was rooting around in a draw, mumbling to herself about it being too early for this, which she did have a point about,

“Right hello you two, my name’s Grace,” she said tiredly after grabbing a handful of supplies, “I’m going to have to clean out your cuts, it might hurt a bit,”

She began wiping his hands down with an antibacterial wipe, causing Phil to hiss with pain. It stung quite a bit, but began to fade after a minute,

“How on earth do you have so many pieces of wood in here,” she groaned, gently pulling out a large splinter with a pair of tweezers, “There’s like half a tree stuck in your hands,”

“I fell over,” he replied dumbly. Grace pulled out a splinter particularly sharply causing Phil to gasp rather loudly. Dan replied by gently putting his hand over his and rubbing his thumb over the undamaged bit of skin in a calming motion. Phil replied with a smile and leaned in a little closer. Grace smirked at them,

“I must say, you two make an adorable couple,” she said with a polite smile. Dan's eyes when wide, as did Phil’s,

“We aren’t together,” Phil replied awkwardly, looking over to Dan, expecting him to say something along the same lines, he instead remained strangely quiet. Grace raised her eyebrow at him but didn’t push it, for which he was quite glad.

After about forty minutes Phil’s hand were safely wrapped in bandages and all bits of fence removed. Dan seemed to be drifting off which he could understand as it was half five in the morning, but he wasn’t sure why Dan had decided that the best way to stay comfortable was to basically smother him. He had opted to let his head rest on the others should and over time more and more weight was being put on his side.

He sort of wanted to say something, but at the same time, he didn’t. if Dan was so comfortable with him, was that a sigh? Plus, he hadn’t responded when Grace had mistaken them for a couple, what did that mean? If he didn’t properly fancy Dan, he might have been a bit uncomfortable, well he was, but not in that way. He was simply feeling very warm, and a little bit flustered. He simply resigned himself to clearing his throat every fifteen minutes to keep him awake.

Finally, the ticket office opened at around six in the morning and Phil was able to find an excuse for them to get up. He patted down his pockets, wondering if he had had any money on him when he got turned. Unfortunately, all he had was a crumpled fiver that went out of circulation two years ago,

“Do you have enough for two tickets?” he asked worriedly, luckily Dan nodded,

“Just about. Don’t worry, we’ll go back to my place and then you can try and contact your parents,”

Phil nodded, but as Dan bought the tickets, he felt guilt well up inside of him,

“I’m sorry, I’m being such a burden to you,” he said tiredly, trying not to sound too miserable,

“No, no, no, don’t feel like that,” Dan replied, voice going higher, “This whole debacle has been the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me! Plus, I like you, I have a friend for like the first time in my life!”

“We’re friends?” Phil asked, a little surprised,

“Well, I thought we were,” Dan murmured, “But if you don’t think we are, that’s fine,”

“No that’s not what I meant!” Phil exclaimed, “It’s just it’s been a long time since I had a friend, it feels odd for someone to say it,” he finished with a shrug.

The train came, and they boarded an empty carriage. Everything was a little foreign for Phil, Dan's phone was huge, and there were no buttons on it? The train was a lot faster than it had been, and Dan paid for the tickets by just swiping his card against the scanner, he didn’t even have to put his pin in. Dan decided to resume the position he had assumed in the waiting room, making Phil go very, very red.

“Are you ok Phil?” Dan asked, sounding concerned, “You’re sweating quite a bit,”

Phil squirmed in his seat for a second and turned his eyes to the window,

“It’s nothing, I’m just a bit warm,”

Luckily the train ride into Manchester was pretty short. Phil watched as the countryside soon disappeared and they entered a more urbanised area. The newer buildings were very different from anything he was used to, but nice to look at he supposed. Piccadilly was also different from what he remembered, busier as well. They battled their way through the crowds and Dan lead Phil to his apartment. In order to avoid getting separated Dan grabbed his hand, but strangely didn’t let go once they were free. Phil tried not to think about it too much, but it felt as though the skin on his hands was burning. It was probably just due to the pressure on his bandages.

Dan’s apartment was small but nice. He had a minimalist theme going on, bar a couple of bits and bobs that sat on a neat bookshelf. Games and DVDs were organised in alphabetical order, Phil didn’t recognise most of them. Dan noticed him staring,

“You have a lot to catch up on huh?”, he said gently, “How about I get you some new clothes, you grab a shower and we can start,”

Phil nodded and let Dan guide him around his apartment, the younger man handing him the towel, t-shirt and trousers. He noticed that the majority of his clothes were black, which Phil thought was a shame. He probably looked good in a bit of colour. When he got into the bathroom, it was the first opportunity he had got to see himself so far, it was strange. His hair was a lot shorter than when he had been changed, although the black dye had remained. He looked older, but not in a bad way. His eyes had been itching strangely all day, he figured it was just tiredness or a side effect of the magic, then he realised, it was his contact lenses.

He went to take them out, but he didn’t have his glasses with him, he was pretty much blind. Luckily, he was able to take a shower well enough, squinting at the bottles in an attempt to read the labels. He got dressed and put the contacts back in, they hurt his eyes but until he managed to get another pair of glasses they were going to have to do. Dan’s clothes were a little big on him, but he didn’t mind, they were comfortable at least.

Dan was already sat on the sofa when he came out, scrolling through some random website on his phone,

“Um Dan, I need to find my parents, is there any way you think I can do that?” he asked anxiously. Dan nodded and handed over his phone, to Phil’s confusement. Dan’s eyes went wide for a moment,

“Oh sorry, I keep forgetting you are ten years behind. You can look up anybody on the internet nowadays. Just give me their name and I’ll find them,”

Phil thought it would be easier to find his brother than his parents, given that they were never big users of social media. It only took a few minutes and he found Martyn’s profile on a website called twitter? It seemed a little odd to him, but he was glad to know that his brother was ok. Dan used his account to DM him and it was quite easy to get in contact.

Seven hours later he had spoken to his brother and Mum and had a plane booked to the Isle of man for the following day. The had wanted to know everything, but that was very difficult when Phil didn’t know what to tell them. Finally, after several hours of questioning, he had told them that he would tell them in person. They weren’t happy with that but at least it gave him some time to think. He was worried about what they were going to say, really worried, but they wanted to see him and that was enough to brighten his day.

After he had finally gotten off the phone, he closed his eyes and groaned, exhausted,

“So, you’re leaving tomorrow?” Dan asked breaking the silence. Phil nodded,

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I’ll come back and see you, I just need to see my family,”

Dan nodded sympathetically. Suddenly though a nervous air came over him,

“I just want to ask something of you first,” he said shyly.

“Of course,” Phil replied, frowning slightly. What Did Dan want, he couldn’t get him anything, he was broke. Dan took a deep breath,

“Will you go on a date with me?”

Suddenly a weight was taken of Phil’s shoulders and he couldn’t stop a smile from making its way on to his face,

“Of course,” he replied, beaming at Dan, “I would be honoured,”

Dan launched forward and pulled Phil into a tight hug,

“Thank you, if we get together, I’ll be an awesome boyfriend I swear!”

Phil giggled,

“I don’t doubt it,”

He leant in and gave Dan a quick peck on the cheek. Dan was the colour of an overly ripe tomato, but it looked very, very cute on him, so Phil couldn’t complain. He was so happy now, his whole life had changed in a matter of days, all thanks today. Now he had a life, and it looked like it was only going to get better.

 


End file.
